This temple is said to have been built by Prince Shotoku with the assistance of Soga no Umako during the Asuka period. Also known as "Naka no Taishi" (Middle Prince), it is one of the "Three Princes of Kawachi," along with "Upper Prince" at Eifuku-ji Temple in Taishi Town and "Lower Prince" at Daisho Shogun-ji Temple in Yao City. The original Asuka-period temple buildings were destroyed in the wars of the Northern and Southern Courts period, but the remains of the main hall, pagoda, inner gate, and lecture hall have been designated as national historic sites and are preserved. The current halls were rebuilt in the early Edo period. The Hakuho-period Maitreya Bodhisattva half-seated statue and the mid-Heian period Jizo Bodhisattva statue are both designated Important Cultural Properties and are open to the public for special viewing on the 18th of each month from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM.